On a sultry Saturday night in Milan, designer Donatella Versace decided it was time to rock the Casbah. She crafted a billowing tent out of oversized Versace scarves stitched together for some chic sartorial shelter; then she coated the catwalk in a fine layer of golden sand before finally letting her latest menswear collection loose on the world.

With such a glamorous Arabian Nights set up, Versace could have returned to the campy fun she has been having lately with her menswear shows. Instead, in a bit of an about-face, the designer produced a collection that was decidedly commercial at its core.

Take away the scarves wrapping the models’ heads, the smattering of sequined tops, and the handful of looks that featured reprints of some of the same scarves’ motifs that wafted high overhead, and there was much to admire in this show.

The fluid layering of longer second skin sweaters and button up tops with suits or trousers both worked with the concept of the collection but also as stand-alone designs. The more forgiving silhouettes still maintained a muscular vigor and both the understated tie dye twinset and the decision to slice apart blouson jackets or knitwear was somehow tastefully salacious.

Versace took her man on a bit of an adventure this season and, in the end, the escapade only made him that much more desirable.